Ava Police Staffing Changes, Alderman Dye Achieves Certification

by Michael Boyink, mike@douglascountyherald.com

The Ava Board of Aldermen met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 23rd. It was a relatively short meeting, with only some updates on city matters and no significant voting.

Circuit Court

Ava City Attorney Larry Tyrrell gave an update on the first session of combined city and county court, held on April 11th. He said it went “extremely smooth.”

Electric Shed 

In the next 1-2 weeks some dirt work will be done to prepare for the planned cement apron. The project will also receive final inspections and sign-offs, after the contractor completes some minor details.

Lower Park Bathroom

When grants were being sought for this project, the bathroom couldn’t be located in a floodplain to qualify for a grant. If the city pays for the project outright, that requirement doesn’t exist. Mayor Loftin said the entire area was technically a floodplain anyway, which opens up four options for bathroom placement.

The most attractive option is to demolish the old bathroom and build the new one in its place. 

Loftin mentioned a pre-bid hearing for the project being held on May 7th.

DNR Inspection

Mayor Loftin discussed a recent inspection of Ava’s water system by the DNR, with favorable results. He also reminded residents that the south water tower is in use, providing water pressure on the south side of town. 

Community Center Gutters

Already-approved gutter updates to the Ava Community Center will be completed soon.

SCOTAC

Mayor Lofin and Suzanne Welsh recently attended The South Central Ozarks Transportation Advisory Committee (SCOTAC), which is part of the South Central Ozarks Council of Governments (SCOCOG). SCOTAC creates an annual list of prioritized projects which it provides to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). 

Meeting attendees prioritize recommended safety upgrades to local road systems. Loftin mentioned examples including making the Ava roundabout more consistent with other roundabouts, adding a turn lane at the intersection of Highway 5 and Y Highway, etc. 

While MODOT uses the list to help plan road upgrades, there are no guarantees that funds will be allocated for the recommended projects.

City Cleanups

A city-wide cleanup is planned for May 6-10. The first two days will be for the east side of the city, then the next two days for the west side, and the final day for the entire city. 

There will be an electronics cleanup on May 11th.

Questions on the specifics of the cleanups can be directed to City Hall.

Noel Dye MGI Certified

West Ward Alderman Noel Dye recently achieved a Certified Municipal Official certificate from the Municipal Governance Institute (MGI). 

Under guidance from the Missouri Municipal League, MGI provides training to elected municipal officers. The certificate is achieved by earning 16 credit hours of training in subjects including council meeting procedures, the Sunshine law, disaster preparedness, parliamentary procedures, etc.

Mayor Loftin presented Alderman Dye with a certificate commemorating his achievement.

Police Force Staffing Changes

In a closed session the Aldermen handled changes to the Ava City Police force.

Officer Julie Niesen is retiring and Officer Noah Reese gave his two week notice. 

The Aldermen voted 4-0 to hire Caleb Brookshire as Police Officer.

Attendance

Councilmen present were Billy Stewart, Noel Dye, Keith Jones, and Stan Lovan.

Video

Video from the Ava Board of Aldermen meeting will be posted to the Douglas County Herald’s website at douglascountyherald.com.

Next Meeting

City officials and aldermen will reconvene on May 14th at 5 p.m. at City Hall. Meetings are open to the public.